Bathurst Observatory Research Facility
Bathurst NSW Australia
Please like our Facebook page for latest news and images!
https://www.facebook.com/BathurstObservatory/
Bathurst Observatory Research Facility is an observatory site primarily for education, research and study, though we do offer general public viewing nights.
Open Nights Star Tours Available Now (conditions and limits apply)
Bookings will be essential for all tours.
(All tours subject to weather)
NEWS: Tours begin at the new site
Tours are underway at the new site. The site is not complete yet, however, are able to offer tours to help complete other facilities.
Tours will be generally be available any clear Friday and Saturday nights, however, we can also offer some tours, mid week for groups of 5 or more. Check to see if I am available.
Any clear Friday and Saturday Nights!!!
Note, Bathurst Observatory has moved and under construction!!!!
The new site, opened during 2020 and offers better sky, better viewing opportunities and a more unique experience.
No tours in the week of Full Moon.
Please note that the main telescope is pretty big and requires use of a small stepladder for viewing. Please advise if you would have difficulties with steps and we can set up a different telescope.
* There may be some mid week research nights where tours are not available.
Reduced Tours Prices for groups
Costs :
As the site is not yet complete with all facilities, we are asking for donation towards completion (an amount you think is fair for the tour and my time).
(Note: we have NO credit card facilities)
Tour bookings and Enquiries, phone (0427292214 Please leave a message as we screen out spam calls), or email us. (Email is by far the best way to get us, if you don’t get a reply it means you have us blocked!!! Please change your settings!).
Why “Open Nights”?
We used to do tours in the observatory dome. However, we found that the dome itself blocked out most of the night sky! Our visitors wanted to view through a telescope but be able to see and hear about the wonders of the night sky at the same time. We particularly had many visitors from urban areas wanting to see a nice dark country sky full of stars. The solution, set up the public telescope as nature wanted us to, on cleared ground next to the observatory, under the wonder of the Southern stars.
Our tours are conducted with the only guide with over fifteen years educational astronomy experience and with Bachelor of Education Honours Degree! Our guide is also an internationally recognised expert in the field of meteorites.
Tours require bookings and are weather dependent. (We can’t see stars through clouds!) Tour duration is about 1 hour, depending on time of year.
We cater for all school astronomy and space excursions, as well as general public telescope tours of the night sky. Primarily we offer our open night tours to inspire everyone to look to the night sky.
The Milky Way stretches overhead in this view taken at the Bathurst Observatory Research Facility.
The Bathurst Observatory Research Facility (Research and Meteorite Related Enquires and Public Viewing Nights)
The Bathurst Observatory Research Facility, located on the current site on Limekilns Road north east of Bathurst. At the research site, we study, comets, asteroids, variable stars, meteors and meteorites. For research related enquires please email us.
We also welcome any enquires or questions you may have on Astronomy, Space or meteorite related matters.
Our FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/BathurstObservatory/ is regularly updated, so have a look for the latest news and images from the observatory.
Other Tours
Solar Telescope Tours (Viewing the Sun)
On occasions, we are able to offer daytime telescope views of the sun. We have a special telescope that allows you to SAFELY view the sun. At present the availability of these tours will depend on three factors.
- that I’m available on the day.
- it is not cloudy.
- that the sun has some active features.
The third point is important, as sometimes the sun can be quiet and not as interesting to see.
These tours will be about 15 minutes in duration and by gold coin donation. Bookings for a solar tour would be essential.
Keep up to date with our latest News.
Please Subscribe to our Newsletter.
We value your privacy and do not share your information.
Watch THIS Space (December 24)
In December, I generally turn eastwards to watch the constellations of summer rising after sunset. The image shows the view looking roughly NE around then. One highlight would be the Pleiades cluster, very prominent in the NE. See how many stars you can see in this tight group. A telescope or binoculars show many more! There is also the constellation of Orion and the Great Orion Nebula, located in his sword. This nebula is a great target for those getting telescopes for Christmas.
Speaking of which, there is a great article on the Sky and Telescope site on how to choose the best telescope for your needs. buff.ly/3no3M5Y
Full Moon occurs on the 15th of December. This is kind of bad timing this year, as it also is around the peak of the Geminid meteor shower. You will likely hear media stories etc of “the best meteor shower of the year”. But alas, due to the bright Moon, this year it will be pretty washed out. I know I will sleep in for it!
We do have some bright planets in the sky with Venus still prominent in the west and Saturn, getting lower in the west, but still ok, and a highlight is Jupiter rising in the east. You can see it on the skymap near Taurus.
There might also be Santa visible too in the north doing practice runs!!!!
Tours??? Yes, I will likely have a tours too in December, but haven’t yet worked out the dates, as it is a month were family and friends have a few Christmas parties and I might not be available some nights. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
The Orion nebula M42 certainly a good target on clearer nights 😍
I have been using a different imaging process for the images taken at the observatory. This is galaxy NGC 253. The galaxy is just over 11 million light years away and is a dusty spiral galaxy we see somewhat edge on. Compare this image with the one we have as our banner image! ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Watch THIS Space (November 24)
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) was certainly a highlight for October, however, this month it fades rapidly and becomes lost in evening twilight by early to mid-month (around full moon, so the brightness of the moon will not help either).
The next comet, C/2024 S1 Atlas, “might” be visible low in the morning ESE twilight in the first week of November. Notice the word MIGHT. This comet is what is known as a sungrazer. They pass very close to the sun and generally break up around this time. Indeed S1 has already shown that it may already have started to break up. IF there are pieces big enough to rapidly evaporate, there may be a tail (with no head like comet Lovejoy) visible in that first week of November. I admit, I am not holding out much hope for this comet.
Planets Saturn and Jupiter will be evening objects in November. Saturn is in the northern sky after sunset with Jupiter rising after 10pm in the east. Saturn’s rings are almost edge on this year (more so next year), but still interesting with a telescope. Venus of course is still shining very brightly in our western sky. If you have a telescope, November is also great for galaxies, highlights include the Andromeda galaxy low in the north and M33 nearby (many others too!). The Stellarium image shows the position of these two galaxies just after Full Moon.
Tours, I promised I would also update on tours. There were no tours in October due to comet commitments and I admit I also wanted to do some maintenance in and around the observatory. The middle of the year saw MANY cloudy evenings and as such, I had no tours due to cloud and also I was not able to use the telescope myself for images and just to relax with. Here I also admit a little bit of selfishness, as one of the reasons for limited tours of late is I want a chance to catch up on some imaging projects myself and need a few nights to do that. I hope people understand this, and I promise tours soon as I can. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Two images tonight the 25th of October of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). The comet has dramatically faded in the last 24 hours and even from our dark sky site a struggle to see visually. To the eye, it appeared faint with only 3-4 degrees of tail very faintly visible. The 50mm DSLR image still shows a faint anti-tail. The telescope view though showed a bit more interest, with a ribbon of material and a broader dust tail. The comet will continue to fade more rapidly now, as it moves further away from both Earth and the sun. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
I had thought that the 24th of October might be my last images of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). However, I could still see it with just my eyes (though much fainter), and some 5 degrees or so of tail as well, from our observatory site. Perhaps I will image it a few more nights as a result. The comet in the telescope image shows a broader tail. It is now a bit higher in the WNW and these images are from about 8:40 to 8:50pm. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
I imaged the comet again on the 21st, but have only just processed them tonight. The comet was a bit clearer and both the comet and tail visible to the eye. The wide angle image show the comet, milky way and the glow of sunset, haze and the town of Orange. The other images are with a 50mm lens and a close up with a short telescope.
Some people have been asking about the regular tours and I will post an update over the weekend in regards to what will be happening. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
what time was it?
No luck here in Wollongong sadly
I’m in Gracemere central Queensland. What time and where should I look
Very nice photos 👍 seeing looks a lot better than here at Cudal, smokey here last night.
Paul Aitken
View more comments
A few more images this time from the 20th October. The sky seemed a bit hazy tonight. You can notice that more in the very wide angle image with the bright glow of the city of Orange in the distance. The comet was still visible, along with tail, to the eye, but it is definitely fainter and nowhere as stunning as when it was in the morning sky. It will continue to fade this week. The close up was imaged using a small telescope. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Got a nice asteroid near me shed ✨☄️💸
from Molong, 8.45pm
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) on the evening of the 19th October. I did manage a close up with a small telescope as well as a couple of wide angle images with the 50mm lens. The comet and tail were still both visible to the eye, but again, better in binoculars. As the comet moves away from both Earth and the Sun, it will continue to fade each night, though getting higher in the sky. These images were around 8:30pm and still WSW. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
We tried to see it but no luck from our house. Will it be visible tonight? We might need to go for a drive
What time tonight and roughly what direction do we look please?
I got it from Cudal (wide shot) 😃 Great closeup shot 👏
Wonderful photos! Thankyou! It amazed me how big it was!
My first time having a go
Brendan Shane Dawson
Barry Anderson 👍
Sandra Kunawave
George Carwell
View more comments
Finally a clear window after many evenings of cloud. I managed to catch comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in evening twilight on the 18th of October, low in the WNW. The comet was easy to see with the eye, along with the tail. Even better in binoculars. Images with a DSLR and a couple of seconds with a 50mm lens. Hoping for some more images, including a couple of telescope images, very soon. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Oh would this been anywhere in Australia ? And would it be to dark now
What time did you capture these images? They're great!!
Nice photos, I've been trying for days - 🌧⛈️☁️🌫 😕
Sandra Kunawave